Luigi "Gigi" Fresco (born 4 April 1961) is an Italian football coach and executive, currently in charge as head coach and chairman of Serie C Group A club Virtus Verona.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 4 April 1961[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Rovereto, Italy[1] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Virtus Verona (head coach/chairman) | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 1982– | Virtus Verona | ||
Football career
editFresco joined minor amateur club Virtus Verona as a child, first as a centre back and youth coach. In 1982 he was appointed chairman of Virtus Verona, and appointed himself as head coach of the club, who was at the time playing in Terza Categoria, the lowest division of Italian football.[2] Under his tenure, the club emerged as a local force, climbing all the amateur football pyramid and eventually reaching Serie D in 2006. In 2013, after winning the Serie D playoffs and also due to a league vacancy, Virtus Verona was admitted to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione, thus marking the first time for the club in a professional league and also the first time the city of Verona had three professional clubs (the other two being Hellas Verona and ChievoVerona).[3][4] The club was relegated back to Serie D by the end of the season, the first relegation during Fresco's tenure.[5] In 2018, Virtus Verona returned to Serie C as league winners.[6]
Under his tenure, Fresco also oversaw the club's transformation to a multi-sports club, with an eye on integrating immigrants and refugees in the Verona area.[7]
Personal life
editHonours
editManagerial
edit- Virtus Verona
- Serie D: 2017–18 (Group C)
- Eccellenza: 2005–06 (Veneto, Group A)
References
edit- ^ a b "Luigi Fresco, detto "Gigi", è il Sir Ferguson d'Italia" (in Italian). Pianeta Calcio. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ "Verona, la squadra di quartiere che ha lo stesso allenatore da 41 anni e adesso si gioca la promozione in serie B" (in Italian). La Repubblica. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ "Lega Pro, quattro club tagliati. E la Virtus Verona salta in C2 grazie ai play-off" (in Italian). Amaranto Magazine. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ "Més que un club: la Verona rossoblù... sono tre squadre" (in Italian). Sky Sport. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ "La Virtus e la Storia: gita d'istruzione in Medio Oriente" (in Italian). Sky Sport. 31 May 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ "Virtus Verona torna in Serie C con il presidente-allenatore: lo stesso da 36 anni!" (in Italian). Itasportpress.it. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Se Gigi Fresco non ci fosse, bisognerebbe inventarlo" (in Italian). Rivista Contrasti. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2023.